The Universal

Chapter 13 - The Game

Sorry for the long wait, it's the summer hols now so there should be lots of updates. Sorry again but the chapters here now.

xxbluexx

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Chapter 13 - The Game

Skylar's P.O.V

'He drew a deep breath. "well, I'm back,' he said.' I read the last line of The Return of the King as a salty tear dripped onto the page. The last chapter of the last book of the lord of the ring always had me crying. I'd read the series over 15 time at least, but it was just so sad. It was dark outside of my cabin; I couldn't sleep so I decided to finish my book. I sat curled up on one of the sofas with an emerald green blanket wrapped around me. I slowly closed the battered book. The pages were falling out, the edges curled and frayed, the spine covered in white lines from being bent back and the cover was all faded it wasn't really black anymore it was more a dark grey. I sat, the tears still running down my face, I just stared blankly at the cover of my book not really seeing it. Thinking about this week, disaster week, the Quebec train crash, the San Francisco plane crash, the Paris train crash and the Heathrow plane fire. It was strange how they all happened in the same week, but something kept telling me that they weren't accidents with no link, something was telling me they were linked someone meant for them to happen.

I heard footsteps on the wooden steps outside, I turned to see who it was.

"Oh hey" I said, as Seth came into my cabin.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked, he must have seen the tears running down my face.

"Yeah, I miss Frodo" I answered holding up my book

"Oh" he smiled knowingly, "The Grey Havens" he named the last chapter

"So you've read it?"

"Yeah didn't understand some of it" he admitted

"It's not as confusing as people make out" I argued.

"Yeah anyway, I just came to tell you that you'll want to be up early tomorrow. The boss has organised a whole camp....eh...activity, so yeah. I'll see you in the morning, I guess."

"Right, yeah, I'll see you in the morning then" I replied

"Night!" he shouted from outside. I never heard him leave.

"Night Seaweed!" I yelled back. I heard him laugh as he walked away.

After that I fell into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up to the faint sunlight shining through my closed eyelids.i didn't want to wake up. I groaned as I rolled over, before falling onto the floor, I groaned again as I opened my eyes and sat up. I forgot I fell asleep on the sofa. I stood up and shuffled my way into the shower. I stood under the hot water thinking about what Seth said last night. A Whole camp activity, what could that mean; I shook my head I guess I'll find out later. I shut off the water and dried of before getting dressed in the combats and t-shirt that Cailyn gave me days ago. She said I could keep them, she didn't like them anyway.

I threw my hair up into my normal ponytail, I don't know why I always put my hair up in a ponytail, I guess it makes me feel like I can look after myself and I'm not a girl who needs a guy around to look after me 24/7. If I wear my hair down it makes me feel vulnerable and exposed. I was just pulling on my shoes when I felt little talons digging into my shoulder; I smiled as I turned my head to the little offender. My new friend,

"Hey Artemis" I greeted the Nightjay as I scratched her little head. I decided to call her Artemis after the Greek god, only because her plumage resembles a night sky. She gave me a quick tweet before flying out of the window. I let her go I'll see her later. My nightjay had just gone when familiar voices floated through the door. I finished putting on my shoes and I went out to meet them. Seth, Cailyn and Luke were all dressed similarly to me. They turn as I joined them and we made our way to breakfast.

All through breakfast no-one would tell me what the 'activity' was. But eventually at the end of breakfast the boss went up and told us what was happening.

"Today, as most of you know is the day we play capture the flag" oh so is that what the activity is. I looked over at Seth who was trying not to laugh at me. I rolled my eyes at him.

"As you know we have to have two teams for this game so this time I have decided to pair..." he got cut off by the drum roll of everyone stamping their feet or hitting their hands of the tables. The boss smiled and waited politely for them to stop. "I have decided to pair the water elementals and the earth elementals together, which leave the air elementals and the fire elementals to go together and since we have a new addition to the camp" he said deliberately looking at me. "This year the game will be even more interesting. She will choose what team she wants to play for. Right so go and get your weapons ready"

An hour later I was standing in between Seth and Cailyn. In front of our flag, a lone tree on an island in the middle of a sea. We'd decided to put the flag right next to the lake where the trees came right down to the shore. The team surrounded it some in the tree tops, some in the lake others dotted around the flag. I had no armour on in fact no-one did. My hand rested on a sheathed sword, slung on my back was a bow with a sheath of arrows. Hid inside my leather boots was a small hunting knife. These were the weapons I was best with, I'd went to the practise arena with Luke one day, I went straight to the archery range. I'd always had this strange attraction to archery and it turns out I'm a natural I hit the bull's-eye every time. Luke wanted me to try every weapon so he dragged me away to the spears, no not good at that, trident didn't go so well. Sword I was alright Luke said with some practise I could be a formidable opponent. Knife/dagger it's last resort.

I was jerked back to the game as the starting horn was blown. This was it the start, who knows what will happen. My feet pounded the ground as I ran forward. Suddenly a ball of fire hit the tree I had just past a second ago, I turned to see a black haired guy getting another ball of fire ready, I clenched my fists before quickly opening them two balls of water appearing in them which I flung at him like I was throwing a baseball. They hit him square in the chest the force knocking him down to the ground where he hit his head on a large log. One down, loads to go. I continued to run hitting people right, left and centre. I haven't had to use my weapons. Yet. I stopped I had ran straight into the middle of the battle. I had lost Seth and Cailyn as soon as the horn had blown. I turned to find Lyn-z standing behind me her sword raised ready to strike me down. I whipped out my sword raising it to stop her blow. She once again tried to hit me but I blocked again. The force caused me to stumble back and fall to the forest floor, my sword flying from my hand. A hot white pain shot up my leg. I bit down on my bottom lip to stop crying out. Lyn-z hovered above me her sword raised and ready to deliver the final blow that would put me out of the game. I turned my head we were surrounded by fire elementals facing outwards. I'm not going to get any help. I turned my head back to Lyn-z. I met her eyes throwing every bit of determination, confidence and anger into them. Banishing fear to the deep realms of my head.

"You don't scare me"

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cliffhanger. whats going to happen? i dont know my self i just write it as it comes remember to comment etc

xx blue xx

P.S - dedicated to xMusicFreakx for being there and telling me to hurry up and write. love ya